Ellijay River W/s Str. #4 Dam

About Ellijay River W/s Str. #4 Dam

The primary purpose of Ellijay River W/s Str. #4 Dam is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by Gilmer County Board Of Commissoners;limestone Valley Swcd (state). It impounds the Boardtown Creek near Ellijay River Community.

The dam stands 68 feet tall and stretches 730 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 79 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,611 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 5,427 square miles. Completed in 1968, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.

This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. Its condition is rated poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 03/01/2016. That was 10 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.

At 68 feet, this dam is taller than 96% of all dams in the United States.

Living Downstream

If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The Georgia dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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